VS death leaves pall of gloom in Alappuzha

Across the district, Communist party workers have hoisted black flags atop party offices and allied organisations

- BIJU E PAUL @Alappuzha

A pall of gloom has fallen over Alappuzha as the district prepares to receive the mortal remains of V S Achuthanandan, the towering Communist leader who dedicated his life to the struggles of peasants, workers, and the marginalized.

In Paravoor, his native village, the grief is palpable. At Velikkakathu Veedu, his ancestral home, relatives and local residents gathered in quiet mourning for a man who, though absent from public life in recent years due to ill health, had remained firmly in their hearts. VS, as he was fondly called, last visited the home in 2019.